The present invention relates to a dance training device with a liquid crystal or like display and, more particularly, to a portable dance training device, which permits dance training by carrying it and watching foot statuses of successive dance steps automatically displayed on the display screen.
Dance has heretofore been trained with reference to dance primers or training books and also taught by showing contents of such books. Dance training book spare many pages for the illustration of foot statuses of figures. A figure means a combination of fixed steps. A certain dance guide book defines the figure as "a fixed form of a logical combination of movements of two or more steps". A step means one movement of a foot.
There are many kinds of dances, such as blues, tango and waltz. Each kind of dances includes various movements from an overall view, but the overall dance movement consists of a combination of a plurality of figures. The overall dance movement, for instance one excursion on the dance floor, is called a routine. A routine is a combination of a plurality of successive figures.
FIG. 9 shows a routine example, i.e., a well-known blues routine. This routine consists of a succession, from the illustrated start point, of 13 figures, i.e., quarter turns, quarter turns, side chasse to right, quarter turns, check back, quarter turns, natural pivot turn, quarter turn to left, quarter turns, natural turn, quarter turns and check back.
As shown in FIG. 9, a routine is usually shown as a trace of the center position of a couple of a man and a woman partner. Indicated as L.O.D. is the abbreviation of line of dance. The L.O.D. is directed in the counterclockwise direction in the dance hall (usually and hereinafter referred to as floor), and its direction is changed at the corner of a rectangular floor. Black circle marks in the Figure represent figure connection points.
Figures are selected in dependence on the shape of the floor, the tempo of the dance music, the skilled level or taste of the dancers and so forth. However, some figures are suitably selectable subsequent to a certain figure, and others are not. The dance will be rhythmical or awkward depending on the figure selection. It depends on the dancer's skilled level what figures are to be selected to form a routine and make the dance pleasant and beautiful.
In the prior art dance guide book, figures are illustrated in the manner as shown in FIG. 10. Shown in AA in the Figure are foot statuses of side chasse to right as a blues figure. The man partner's foot statuses are designated by symbols F8 to F14, and the movement directions of the steps are indicated by arrows. The successive step movements are indicated by numeral FIGS. 1 to 5 enclosed in circles. The woman partner's foot statuses are illustrated likewise.
As is seen from the figure foot status example shown in FIG. 10, in the prior art figure illustration method a number of foot statuses are shown in the same color, in the same form and on the same paper, and to permit sequential tredding as in these foot statuses the foot movement direction for each step is indicated by an arrow, while also indicating the foot movement sequence by successive numeral figures. Such foot statuses, arrows and figures are shown in a very intricate fashion on a single paper sheet. In order to make tredding of the sequential steps in accordance with the figure foot status view, therefore, it is necessary to rely on the sight and make step-by-step selection, for the moment, of only the necessary one of a number of expressions of the foot statuses, arrows and numeral figures.
However, it is extremely difficult to continuously maintain such concentration. Although those who brought a dance guide book may try the training for a while, mostly they will soon give up and do not master and enjoy dance. For this reason, the prior art dance guide books were only used by dance teachers as a very auxiliary material for teaching dance.